Vision and Hearing Impairment in Aged Care Clients

Abstract

This study suggests a high prevalence of sensory impairment among older persons transitioning from independent community living to institutionalized care.

Vision and hearing impairments and their associations with falling and loss of instrumental activities in daily living in acute hospitalized older persons in five Nordic hospitals

“…Half of the patients in this study had a hearing impairment, one‐third had impaired vision and one‐fifth had a combination of hearing and vision impairment (Table 1). The prevalence of hearing and vision impairment was less compared with studies in nursing homes and geriatric assessment centres (5–8) and similar or higher than in community studies (1–5). The higher age in our patients partly explains these differences as sensory impairments increase as one becomes older (1–5).…”

“…In the older population, hearing and vision deficits are common, with their prevalence increasing with age (1–5). In nursing homes and for persons attending a geriatric assessment centre, the prevalence of sensory impairment has been found to be higher than in older persons living in the community (5–8). Older persons admitted to hospital for acute conditions are often frail (9) and are, possibly, at a specific risk for having hearing and vision impairment.…”

The Need for Improved Detection and Management of Adult-Onset Hearing Loss in Australia

“…Importantly, evidence shows that the later hearing rehabilitation occurs in the course of hearing loss, the less likely older adults are to continue to use and derive benefit from hearing aids [21]. Despite this, several studies [22, 23] indicate high levels of unmet need for hearing health services and poor use of prescribed hearing aids. “Denial” or nonacceptance of hearing loss and the stigma associated with hearing loss are factors associated with this reluctance to seek help.…”

Association of age-related macular degeneration with age-related hearing loss

“…This condition affects the central regions of the retina and choroid, resulting in central visual loss. 13 In population-based cohort studies, hearing loss has been shown to be associated with both age-related macular degeneration and cataract development. [7][8][9] There are two major clinical presentations of age-related macular degeneration: the non-exudative, atrophic or dry type, characterised by degeneration of choriocapillaris, retinal pigment epithelium and neurosensory retina; and the wet, exudative or neovascular type, characterised by development of serous retinal pigment epithelium detachment and/or new choroidal vessels, which can lead to bleeding, exudation and eventual scar formation.…”